Note. Assure thyself thus much, thou canst have no more comfort in troubles and afflictions when they do come, than thou hast care to prevent them before they come ; answerable to our care in preventing now, will be our comfort then.
Therefore if we would be hid in the day of God's wrath ; if we would have God to set his mark upon ns, and write us in his book of remem- brance, and to gather us when he 'makes up his jewels,' Mai. iii. 16 ; if we would have him to own us then, look to it now, get now into Christ, be provided now of a sound profession of religion, and that will be as au ark to shelter us in the evil day. What we know let us do, and then we shall be built on a rock, that if waves or anything come, we shall not be stirred.
Usually God in dangerous times leaveth some ground of hope, which worketh differently with men. Such as are carnal, grow presumptuous hereupon ; but the godly are drawn nearer to God upon any appearance of encom-agement ; the good things they enjoy fi'om God, work in them a more earnest desire to please him.
It is the custom of the Spirit of God to make doubtful, imperfect, and as it were half promises, to keep his people still under some hope ; whence we read of these and such like phrases in Scripture, * It may be God will shew mercy,' Amos v. 15 ; and ' who knoweth whether he will hear us ?' &c., Joel ii. 14.
2. Again, examine and try, upon what ground thou prof essest religion, whether it will hold water or no, and stand thee in stead when evil times shall come. Beloved, it nearly concerns us all, seriously to consider and narrowly to search,
JJba THE CHUEOH S VISITATION.
upon what grounds we venture our lives and souls ; try our graces, our know- ledge, repentance, faith, love, &c., of what metal they are. Those that have coin, bring it to the touchstone, and if it prove counterfeit they presently reject it and wiU have none of it. 0 that we had this wisdom for matters of eternity ! If men would search and plough up their own hearts, they would not need the ploughing of God's enemies. We should not need God's judgments, if we would judge ourselves. The church complained that the enemies had made long furrows on her back, but if she had ploughed herself, she had saved the enemies that labour, Ps. cxxix. 3.
3. Before any judgment comes, let -us store nj) the fruits of a holy life ; every day be doing something ; do that now, which may comfort thee then ; store up comforts against the evil day. When the ' night is come, we cannot work,' John ix. 4. Let us therefore ' walk while we have the light,' John xii. 35 ; let us look about us and do what good we can ' whilst we have time,' as the apostle saith, 1 Cor. vii. 29. The time will come ere long that thou wilt wish, 0 that I had that opportunity and advantage of doing good as I have had ! 0 that I had such means of doing good as I have had ! but then it will be too late ; then that whereby thou shouldst do good, will be in thy enemies' hands ; and therefore, while we have time, let us be doing and receiving all the good we can.
4. Again, if we would have God to shield us, and be an hiding-place in the worst times, let us mourn for our own sins and the sins of the times ivherein ice live. Let us keep ourselves unspotted of the sins of the world ; let us not bring sticks to the common fire ; let us not make the times worse for us, but better, that the times and places we live in may bless God for us.
And let us not only mourn for the sins of the times, but labour also to repress them all we can, and stand in the gap, endeavouring by our prayers and tears to stop God's judgments.
5. And we should set a hi/jh price upon that religion and the blessings of God which we do enjoy, lest we force God to take them from us ; and so we come to know that, by the want of it, which we did not value when we possessed it. Oh, let us esteem the treasure of the gospel at a higher rate than ever we have done. We see how it is slighted by most of the world ; how they shake the blessed truths of God, and call them into question, being indif- ferent for any religion. Is this our proficiency, beloved ? It behoves us to store up all the sanctified knowledge we can, and to take heed we yield not to any, that would either weaken our judgment in rehgion, or our affections to the best things. We should, eveiy one in his place, labour to stop dis- sensions in this kind, and knit our hearts together as one man in unity and concord. Factions have always fractions going with them. Unity makes strong, biit division weakeneth any people. Even Satan's kingdom, Mat. xii. 25, 26, divided against itself, cannot stand.